ABOUT THE 2011/2012 LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW
For several years now, the Los Angeles auto show has taken place towards the end of the year in order to position it ahead of the shows in New York, Chicago and (most importantly) Detroit. This year's show continues this new tradition, with the show positioned around the Thanksgiving holiday.
WHEN TO GO
The Los Angeles Auto Show is open to the public Friday, November 18th through Sunday, November 27th, 2011.
Hours:
Friday, November 18: 11am - 10pm
Saturday, November 19: 9am - 10pm
Sunday, November 20: 9am - 8pm
Monday - Wednesday, November 21-23: 11am - 10pm
Thursday, November 24 (Thanksgiving): 9am - 8pm
Friday - Saturday, November 25-26: 9am - 10pm
Sunday, November 27: 9am - 8pm
Tip: The show tends to be packed wall-to-wall on the weekends, and will probably be crowded the Friday after Thanksgiving. Go Monday through Wednesday during the day if at all possible.
Admission:
Adults: $12 at the door.
Children 12 and under: Free with a paid adult.
Seniors (65+): $8 through Thursday, November 24th (cash at the door), full price thereafter.
Available discounts:
- A $4 off coupon for Friday, November 18th, is available here, and a $2 off coupon for November 18-24 is available here.
- Online tickets are $10 through Thursday, November 24th, and full price thereafter.
HOW TO GET THERE
The LA Auto Show is held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa Street in Los Angeles.
Directions to the Los Angeles Convention Center
Parking is available at the convention center for $12 per day. There are several independent lots in the area, some less expensive, some more.
LA Convention Center parking information
Tip: A cheaper alternative is to take public transportation. Metro Blue Line's Pico Station is a block away from the Convention Center. The Red and Purple subway and Silver Metro Liner connect to the Blue Line at 7th St./Metro Center (1 stop from Pico); the Green Line connects Wilmington/Imperial. Metro Rail information
WHAT TO SEE
South Hall
LA's largest hall is rather quiet this year. Cadillac is displaying some rather impressive concept cars alongside the all-new 2013 XTS. And if you like big horsepower, be sure to see the Camaro ZL-1 Convertible -- although, painted in battleship gray, it's easy to miss. Meanwhile, over at Mercedes, be sure to see the 1,500 horsepower's worth of new AMGs, including the C63 Black Series, SLK55, and ML63. And BMW's i3 and i8 will give you a clear look at how future Bimmers will appear.
West Hall
Here you'll find two key players in the future family-car biz -- the 2012 Honda CR-V and 2013 Ford Escape. Car fans will no doubt be more eager to see the new Shelby GT500, but you'll have to look carefully -- it's tucked back into the corner, between the Boss 302s and the dynamometer exhibit. While you're over in West Hall, be sure to check out Kia's stunning GT concept.
Petree Hall
Located off the West Lobby, off to your right just before the entrance to the West Hall, this room is once again given over to Porsche. Too bad there's only one copy of the new 911, but a room-full of Porsches is always good to see.
Concourse Hall
As usual, this small section houses exotics like Rolls-Royce, Lotus, Morgan and Bentley -- but this year it's also showing the innovative (if badly name) Dok-Ing XD electric car and the Mexican-designed Mastretta MXT supercar.
See all the new and notable vehicles in my 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show photo gallery.
